Shandaken 'screaming for answers'

SHANDAKEN — The Full Moon Resort has seen Hurricane Irene blow away several weeks of revenue.

Michael Novinson

SHANDAKEN — The Full Moon Resort has seen Hurricane Irene blow away several weeks of revenue.

The rustic resort south of Oliverea was supposed to bring in $75,000 hosting four weddings this Labor Day weekend, said co-owner Henry Stout.

Town Supervisor Rob Stanley shut them down Thursday, worrying that more than 150 visitors could further harm the dusty, cracked roads and temporary bridge made of scrap materials.

This means Stout had no work for his dozens of employees, most of whom live in the decimated villages of Fleischmanns and Margaretville.

"Not only are their homes washed away, but they're completely out of work," he said.

Stout is one of the lucky ones — his property didn't suffer any damage. Many of the other residents in the town of 3,085 didn't fare as well.

Torrential flooding ravaged many homes along the Upper Esopus or smaller creeks. Town officials and volunteers have been delivering food and medical supplies to elderly residents without road access.

The Bridge Street gateway to Phoenicia has been wrecked with no fix in sight.

Stanley lamented that simple cleanup tools, such as shovels and brooms, haven't been delivered to the town on time. He and Undersheriff Frank Faluotico politely but firmly pressed state officials for help.

"We're screaming for answers and for money," Faluotico said. "I don't know how much more these people can stand up here."

State General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito and Empire State Development CEO Ken Adams listened attentively and offered their sympathies, but had nothing to offer.

Stanley and Faluotico fretted about the possibility of the Winnisook Dam collapsing. The town has requested pumps to lower water levels in Winnisook Lake, but they haven't arrived yet.

Irene caused the back of the dam to begin eroding, and if the predicted rainstorm produces locally heavy precipitation, the entire wall could topple.

Were that to happen, Stanley said rushing water would effectively wipe the entire town — save Pine Hill — off the map.